Caroline Jones brings ethereal vocals to a new cover of "The First Noel," which Taste of Country is premiering exclusively on Friday (Nov. 30). The singer says the holiday classic is one of her favorite Christmas songs ever, and she successfully manages to put a unique spin on the staple.

She kicks off the track with whispered vocals before layered harmonies, delicate mandolin accompaniment and soaring strings come in. If the track appears stark, it's intentional — Jones first envisioned the song to be recorded a capella.

"'The First Noel' is one of my favorite Christmas songs — I have always loved the melody," she says. "My co-producer, Ric Wake, and I envisioned the song almost a cappella, with layered stacks of vocal harmonies accompanied by pizzicato strings and mandolin. Then arranger Miklos Malek added some truly beautiful orchestration and Nir Z added drums during the classical guitar solo."

"I'm so proud of how the song came together with our team," she adds. "It really captures what I feel is the spirit of Christmas: joy, peace and harmony (pun intended of course!). I'm really looking forward to taking time to reflect and be grateful for my amazing year this holiday."

Jones has much to be thankful for, as she has spent the majority of 2018 on the road sharing her music with fans new and old. This year alone she's opened for a diverse roster of acts, including Jimmy Buffett, the Eagles, Zac Brown Band, OneRepublic, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and Kip Moore. She also released her album, Bare Feet, in March through a partnership with Buffett's Mailboat Records. Next year, Jones will continue her current headlining tour with several dates in January before she hits the road with Vince Gill in February.